Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1887-03-03
ABRAHAM AND ISAAC.
DR.. cURTISS' NOTES ON THE SUM-
DAY SCHOOL LESSON.

Lesson N of the International Series for
Sunday, March 6-Lesson Text, Gem
esis xii, Lila; Golden Text, Genesis
xii. s.
We now come to the greatest trial Of Abra-
hams life. 1t was fitting that the father Of
the people of redemption should pass through
it, both for the effect on himself and on his
posterity, national as well as spiritual
Although hundred years old, through
Gods miraculous power he had become the
happy father Of the long promised son. At
Gods command his other son, 1shmael, had
been dismissed with his mother, for Isaac was
to be his only heir. On the life Of Isaac, for
whom he had waited so long, Gods covenant
and every promise that he had made de-
pended.
THE LESSON.
The Testing of Abraham ". I-After the
events described in the preceding chapter God
proved Revised Version) Abraham, or put
him to the final test. So far as God was con-
cerned this was unnecessary, for he knew all
about his servant. But Abraham was to
stand before his people and those of every age
as an example Of faith Rom. iv, IL, 16l; there
fore God puts him to the test. God did not
tempt him as we commonly understand this
word We associate with temptation the
idea of sin. The New Testament distinctly
declares that 1t is impossible that God should
tempt any one James i, 1S. He simply
proves his-ohUsen servants compare Matt.
iv, y as men prove machinery which is to do
an important work and Is liast~ tn he sub
jected to a great strain.
V. 2 This verse contains a climax. Each
word in the divine command must have gone
TO Abrahams heart like dagger, piercing
deeper and deeper. God says ". u, "Abra-
ham"-name which was given him as a
prophecy that he should be father Of many
nations-"take thy son." and that he may
not mistake which, or think of lshmael, he
adds, "thine only SON." through whom alone
all the promises that have been made are
possible, Hwhom thou lowest" dear as the
apple of his eye, "Isaac" Qaughter)-a name
associated with such happy memories before
and after his birth
The mountain alluded to here in the land
of Moriah is supposed by many to be Mount
Moriah, the site of Solomon's temple QI Chron.
iii, II, which throughout every subsequent pc
riod of Israelitish history has been the most
sacred spot on all the earth. This is ques-
ton that we cannot definitely decide, and
which is of minor Importance; and yet, as
we shall see later on, Mount Moriah seems to
be indicated.
The command does not appear to have ex-
cited the surprise and horror in the mind of
Abraham that we should expect. Perhaps
the reason of this is in the fact that human
sacrifices were common among the people OF
Canaan, as we learn from the Scriptures Oh
Kings xvi, 8: Ps cvi, 3S), as well as from
other sources Abraham, therefore, was not
likely to be shocked because he was called
upon to offer up his SON
Abraham's Implicit Obedience ". 3-As
soon as he receives the command he prepares
TO obey. He who had pleaded for the preser
vation of Sodom ON account Of Lot makes no
plea for his son. Taking an ass, and a couple
Of servants as attendants, he goes in the di-
rection that God had indicated.
Vs.4,5. On the third day he sees the place
afar off. He then bids the young men to re-
main with the ass while he and his son go and
worship and return Evidently he still hopes
that this will be the case, and utters the Ian
guage of his heart when he speaks Of return
ing to them with Isaac.
VS. 6-S. We have in these verses the affect
ing details of the final journey of father and
SON. The wood Is carried by Isaac, while
Abraham takes the fire with which he is to
light the sacrifice and the knife with which
he Is to shay it. Doubtless this part of the
tourney was a silent one. Abraham's heart
must have been too full for utterance. Isaac,
with Oriental Difference, does not speak to his
father until he asks the question regarding
the sacrifice: Behold the fire and the wood;
but where is the lamb for the burnt offer
ingl" Abraham replies, "God will provide
himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my
SON." He could not utter the awful truth to
his son; but we are not to suppose that there
Is an evasion here on his part any more than
when he tells the servant that he will return
with Isaac. He still hopes that he will not
be called on to slay his SON
VS.. q-10. He does not falter, however, in
his obedience. Arriving at the place he
builds the altar-probably something after
the model described in Exodus xx, 2+25-ar-
ranges the wood, binds his son Isaac, and lays
him on the altar, on the wood. Only after
all these preparations are made, perhaps with
the hope that deliverance may yet come, does
he at last take the knife to slay his son. Ac-
cording to the decription given Of the sac
rifices in the Mosaic ritual it was customary
to slay the victim first and then put him on
the altar Gev. u.
A Complete Sacrefce Tvs. 11-12-The mo-
the sacrifice was complete. God did not de-
sire the life of Isaac He thus clearly shows
that he does not demand human sacrifices
Micah vi, 7-S. But Abraham had as truly
surrendered his son to God as though he had
plunged the knife into his heart Heb. II, II
19).
1t is the angel of Jehovah that calls to him
from heaven and bids him not to do anything
to the lad. The angel is represented as say
ing that now he knows that Abraham fears
God because he had not withheld his son, his
only son from him. This language, however,
is accommodated to Abraham's understand
ing. We have learned that God knows all
things but Abraham perhaps did not clearly
know it. We thus have God represented as
condescending to the imperfect knowledge of
his servant here as well as in other places,
and as gaining knowledge as if he were man
(Gen. xi, s; xviii, 21). The truth that God
knows all things was indeed partially appre-
hended at that time Gen xvi, Is, Revised
Version, but it was not clearly revealed until
afterward (Ps, cxxxix.).
V. Is. As Abraham has said to Isaac, God
did provide himself sacrifice. At the very
moment that the angel Of Jehovah had fin
ished speaking, Abraham saw ram behind
him caught by his horns in the thicket. He
took him therefore and offered him in place
of his son.
The Lord will Provide ". 14-Abraham,
after this joyful experience, gives the place q
name-Jehovah-j jireh the lord will provide,
Revised Version, marginl. The writer adds:
GAs it is said to this day, In the mount Of the
Lord it shall be provided Revised Version;
or II we regard the well known meaning OF
the imperfect we may translate the passage:
AIN the mount of Jehovah 1t is wont to be
provided What mount then is intended
and is so especially pointed out as the noun
tain of Jehovah, unless it be Moriah, which
perhaps signifies appearance of Jehovah"
Meaning of this Sacrifice-Whnt then Is
the significance Of this transactionl
l. The whole history Of Abraham shows
the miraculous origin Of the Hebrew nation,
and this sacrifice of Isaac indicated how COM
pletely they belonged TO God Isaac was
horn through miracle, and his life which
was ON the point Of being taken in sacrifice
was given back to him. Thus Israel in the
person Of Isaac was specially consecrated to
the service Of God.
9. There are certain personages in the Old